British Ceramic Tile

British Ceramic Tile (BCT) is a UK manufacturer of ceramic tiles, based in Devon. The company has been in operation at the Heathfield site, Newton Abbot since the 1850s. In September 2009, a major expansion of the BCT factory was completed,^[1] making it the largest and most efficient tile-making plant on one site in Europe. The factory is currently capable of producing 30,000 square metres of tiles per day, and claiming a 20% share of the UK tile market.^[2]

Surplus land to the rear of the British Ceramic Tile site in Heathfield has been granted planning permission for mixed use residential, employment and community use by Teignbridge District Council at Appeal.

Tile manufacturing in Devon and the UK

Tile has been produced at Heathfield in Devon, the site of BCT’s facility, for over 150 years, with the raw materials occurring within a mile radius of the site. Historically the UK has struggled in the tile industry, with more than 80% of tiles sold in the UK being imported. BCT’s predecessor on the site, Candy Tiles, had a history going back to the 1850s but had gone bust when BCT bought it out in 1998. Due in part to the decline of the tile-making industry in Britain in the 1970s, a large number of tiles are imported from Spain, Italy and more recently China.^[3] Recent developments have meant that UK manufacturers will be unaffected by a potential carbon tax outlined by the EU, with environmental efficiency a primary concern for both the EU and manufacturers themselves.^[4] The news that the proposed carbon tax won’t affect the brick, roof tile and clay drainage pipe manufacturers as feared has offered security to UK manufacturers. BCT has conscientiously structured its manufacturing process by sourcing local raw materials, reusing both heat and water and adapting its facility’s lighting to reduce its carbon footprint.^[5]

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